Spathiphyllum plant named ‘Piccolino II’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Spathiphyllum plant named ‘Piccolino II’, characterized by its very compact plant habit; dark green, shiny leaves; very freely clumping, dense and bushy plants; freely flowering; numerous white spathes that are positioned at or above the foliage on strong and erect peduncles and long-lasting spathes.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Spathiphyllum Schott. cultivar ‘Piccolino II’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofSpathiphyllum plant, botanically known as Spathiphyllum Schott., andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Piccolino II’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned and controlled breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in Merelbeke-Melsen, Belgium. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create compact andfreely-flowering Spathiphyllum cultivars suitable for 10-cm productionwith dark green leaves. The new cultivar originated from a deliberatecross by the Inventor in 1997 between the Spathiphyllum cultivar‘Jungfrau’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,627, as the female orseed parent and the Spathiphyllum cultivar ‘Daniel’, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 8,655, as the male or pollen parent. The cultivar‘Piccolino II’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment inMerelbeke-Melsen, Belgium.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar ‘Jungfrau’, plantsof the new Spathiphyllum are more compact, have darker green leaves andlarger spathes and spadices. Compared to plants of the male parent,‘Daniel’, plants of the new Spathiphyllum are more compact and havedarker green leaves.

Plants of the new Spathiphyllum differ from plants of the cultivar‘Piccolino’, not patented, primarily in plant growth habit.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tissue culture in alaboratory in Belgium has shown that the unique features of this newSpathiphyllum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Spathiphyllum has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,fertilizer level and propagation procedures, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Piccolino II’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Piccolino II’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Very compact plant habit.

2. Dark green, shiny leaves.

3. Very freely clumping, dense and bushy plants.

4. Freely flowering.

5. Numerous white spathes that are positioned at or above the foliage onstrong and erect peduncles.

6. Long-lasting spathes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Spathiphyllum.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of‘Piccolino II’ in a 10-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe20-week old plants (from microcuttings) grown in Apopka, Fla., duringthe spring, under commercial greenhouse conditions in 10-cm containers.Day temperatures ranged from 24 to 32° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 18 to 24° C. Light level was about 1,500 foot-candles.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Spathiphyllum cultivar ‘Jungfrau’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,627.

Male or pollen parent.—Spathiphyllum cultivar ‘Daniel’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,655.

Propagation:

Type.—By tissue culture.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 30 days at 24° C. Winter: About 45days at 21° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 70 days at 24° C. Winter: About 80days at 21° C.

Root description.—Freely branching, numerous fleshy roots.

Plant description:

Plant shape.—Upright, inverted triangle, symmetrical.

Growth habit.—Erect when young, becoming outwardly arching to droopingas leaves develop. Freely clumping with numerous new shoots; full andbushy appearance. Very compact, appropriate for 10-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 27 cm from soil level to top of leaf plane.

Plant spread.—About 37 cm.

Plant vigor.—Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—About 20 weeks are required to produce a finished floweringplant in 10-cm container from a tissue-cultured microcutting.

Foliage description.—Length: About 22 cm. Width: About 8.3 cm. Shape:Roughly oblong. Apex: Elongated acuminate. Base: Cuneate. Margin:Entire; undulate. Aspect: Initially upright, then reflexed. Surface:Rugose; undulating. Texture: Leathery, smooth, glabrous, very durable;flexible; both surfaces glossy. Color: Young, upper surface: Darker than146A. Young, lower surface: Greener than 146A. Mature, upper surface:Close to 147A. Mature, lower surface: Close to 147B. Petiole length,primary shoots: About 17.5 cm. Petiole diameter, base: About 7.5 mm.Petiole diameter, above geniculum: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong,flexible. Color: Below geniculum, 146A; geniculum and above geniculum,close to 144A. Wing length: About 14.5 cm. Wing diameter: About 6 mm.Geniculum length, primary shoots: About 7 mm. Geniculum diameter,primary shoots: About 4 mm.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence arrangement.—Concave spathes with spadices held above thefoliage. Freely flowering; numerous inflorescences arise from leafaxils, typically about three to six per plant. Not fragrant.

Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences are long-lasting, generallymaintaining white color for about two or three months on the plantdepending on light and temperature levels.

Spathe.—Length: About 8 cm. Width: About 3.9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:Elongated acuminate. Base: Cuneate to obtuse. Aspect: Concave, curlingover the spadix. Color, both surfaces: White, 155A, becoming green,144A, with development.

Spadix.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm. Number of flowersper spadix: More than 50. Color: 158D becoming green, 144A, withdevelopment. Pollen: White, close to 155A.

Peduncle.—Aspect: Strong and erect. Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About3 mm. Color: Close to 144A.

Seed.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Spathiphyllum have exhibited goodresistance to pathogens common to Spathiphyllum.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Spathiphyllum have been shownto tolerate temperatures from 6 to 37° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Spathiphyllum plantnamed ‘Piccolino II’, as illustrated and described.